Automatic tubing-support.



C. J. JOHNSON.

AUTOMATIC TUBING SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED I IAR.30,1914:

1,126,673. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

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AUTOMATIC TUBING-SUPPOR'1 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I,CHAnLns J. JOHNSON,

of (ledar Rapids, county of Linn, State of Iowa, manufacturer, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements, in AutomaticTubing-Supports; and I hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same. i

The invention has particular reference to tubing or hose through whichaflow of gas is supplied to any movable object. The tubing has one endfixed, as at a gas bracket in the wall, or other similardevice, and theother end is moved to and fro as required. The difiiculty which I seekto overcome'is that this tubing has a tendency to drop-or get in the wayof the operator, while my device keeps the tubing away from theoperator, without any pulling or undue strain on the tubing or hose. Iaccomplish this object by means of the mechanism or device shown in theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which-'Figure 1 shows a general side view thereof, partly in section, Fig. 2shows the device attached to a ceiling gas fixture, Fig. 3 shows alongitudinal section of the fixed end of the device, and Figs. 4, 5 and6 show cross sections through a tube or hose furnished with the device,but taken at different distances from the fixed end, to-wit, Jr-4:, 5-5and 66.

l is the movable object, which. for illustrating my invention I haveshown as a laundry iron, and 2 is a rest therefor, 3 is a fixed gaspipe, the gas flow being controlled by the cock at 4:.

5 is the flexible tube or hose conveying the gas to the movable object1, and 6 is a long, outwardly tapered and resiliently flexible piece ofspring metal, hereinafter termed the supporting spring, the larger end(if which is secured in the cock, so that it is. rigidly attached at oneside of the bore of the cock, and projects longitudinally in contactwith the inner surface of the tube, for the purpose of keeping that endof the tube elevated. 1

Figs. 2 and 3 show the device attached to a ceiling gas fixture 7,having a joint 8 and tube 9. The spring 6 holds the tube first outwardand then upward, free from the operator. The inner or butt end 11 of thespecmcationot Letters Patent. Application filed larch 30, 1914. Serial80. 828,250.

spring in this form is shown by a set screw 11*. From said butt end 11outward, the supporting spring .6 is gradu:

ally cutaway or tapered to its outer end, so

that greater flexibility is given the farther the distance from thefixed end. This is clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The sup- 6 ispreferably made from porting spring round steel rod. to a round rod.

used instead; but with the cut away surface of the spring turned awayfrom the adjacent surface of the tubing as shown in Figs. '4- and 5, arounded surface contacts at all times But I do not limit myself with thetubing, and the latter is protected against wear.

he spring is of less diameter than the inside bore of the tubing, so asnot to interfere with the free flow of gas. And since 'it is placedinside the tubing an incidental result is that it prevents it fromkinking. The valuable feature of the device as applied to the gas tubingof a laundry iron, as shown in .Fig. 1, is that the tendency to keep thetubing elevated takes up all the slack, thus preventing the tubing fromcoming into contact with the hot iron and .thereby being burnt, orgetting in the way of or entangled in the hands of the operator.

I am aware that it is old to use a bent arm Patented Jan. 26,1915.

secured in place v A square or flat one may be.

to support a tubing and also to insert a nearly rigid but flexible orbendable wire and more or less resilient coiled wire within a tubing;but these devices, applied to the gas tubing of a laundry iron or thelike, do

not prevent the tubing from becoming slack and interfering with theoperator. The principal object which I accomplish is to so control theslack of the tubing, or hose that as the iron or other object is movednearer to the fixed end of the tubing or hose, it is automaticallyelevated or moved out of the Way of the operator. When the object ismoved away from the fixed end, the necessary freedom of motion is notimpeded by any undue strain on. the tubing or hose. Further, the devicepermits the changing of position of the movable object, such as theiron, without any slack or dropping 01' the tubing ,or hose, as thesupporting spring 6 lifts it away from the operators hands.

The invention is adapted for use With gas tric wire conduit. In theappended claims the term tubing is intended to include such tubing orflexible conduits.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is,

1. An automatic tubing support comprising a fixed member to which oneend of the tubing is coupled, and a long and resiliently flexiblesupporting spring Within said tubing; which spring has a butt endrigidly at tached to said fixed member, a free end at a distance fromsaid butt end, projects longitudinally in contact with the inner surfaceof the tubing at one side only, and is tapered from said butt end tosaid free end to equalize its supporting strength at difi'erentdistances from said fixed member; substantially as described.

2. An automatic tubing support comprising a fixed member to which oneend of the tubing is c0upled,'and a long outwardly tapered andresiliently flexible supporting spring Within said tubing at one sidethereof; said spring having a butt end rigidly attached to said fixedmember, a free end at a distance from said butt end, a rounded back incontact with the inner surface of the tubing, and a cut-away surface outof contact with the tubing, substantially as described.

3. In a tubing outfit for an object movable back and forth, thecombination with a fixed pipe to which one end of the tubing is CHARLESJ. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

H. E. SPANGLEY, LIBBIE BLAHA.

